Be consistent and small. That’s how you win at business.

These are the words I will pass on to my daughter or son (if I have a child in the future) should they ask me about how to be successful, or start a meaningful business, or build a purposeful life.

I have actual tears in my eyes as I begin to write these words. Partially because I was humbled and unable to speak after reading your comments on yesterday’s post (thank you, forever), and partially because I am overwhelmed with the simple, powerful truth I’m about to share.

These words probably won’t be new to you. No words really can be. But it’s the decision to embrace and apply them that matters.

Raise your hand if you are like I am when it comes to ideas—you have 1.3 million of them . . . every single time you blink or inhale.

Your ideas are great. And any one of them CAN work. Any one of them CAN be the thing that helps you create a lifestyle where you’re able to breathe, take breaks, provide for your family in new ways, actually go on a vacation, etc. ANY single one of your ideas can do that.

But they’re likely all missing the thing that all of my ideas were missing a few years ago before I started this brand.

Consistency and smallness.

“Mom, what can I do to be great? Even when all the odds are against me?” asks my fictional child. Let’s name him Emmanuel—obviously we can all refer to him as Manny. Or, “The Man.”

“Son,” I reply slowly. “Be consistent, and be small. Every single day.”

Be consistent.

Show up. Consistently.
Keep creating content.
Speak passionately to a crowd of 0.
Until you’re speaking passionately to a crowd of 3. That’s 3 whole people, with whole lifetimes of experience and memories, who have chosen to tune into your words. That’s an honor.

Create. Consistently.
When everyone else has gone to bed.
When everyone else has stopped paying attention to your dreams.
When absolutely no one seems to care.
When someone has recommended to you that you stop or that you move onto something more logical (to them—major eyeroll emoji).

Love. Consistently.
Until your love finds the community of people it’s most needed by.
Until people can’t help but take your concern for them seriously.
Until someone, somewhere believes in themselves again.

Listen. Consistently.
Not just until you hear the one thing you choose to respond to.
Not just until it gets uncomfortable.
Not only for the sake of appearances.
Not only to focus on how someone else’s words make you feel. But also to focus on how they feel.
But also to understand what people need from you.
But also to know what to create consistently, where to show up consistently, and how to love consistently.

Be small, son.

In the way you approach an important goal.
Because if you focus only on the grand dream . . .
And if you focus only on the one outcome you’re hoping for . . .
And if you care most about the final destination . . .
Then you miss the opportunity to take the steps to get there.
Then you miss the stops along the way that were meaningful and beautiful for you and for others.
Then you miss the signs that were pointing another direction—where more purpose and greatness were hiding.

Be small, son.

Let the giants and the bullies be big.
Yes, they’re hard to miss, but they’re also hard to miss. That was a play on words son. I’ll teach you how to do that one day.
Let the talkers and the faux-greats be big.
Take your small steps every single day and one day, you’ll have to look far, far, far, far back to even see a hint of the others on the horizon.
Don’t despise the small tasks you’ve been given. They are the places that form you.

Be small, son.

Be consistent.

Everything else is the easy choice. Everything else makes you feel good in the moment.

Consistency makes you do good and be good in the long run.

Consistency and small steps aren’t sexy. But anyone who has built anything worth anything in life has lived in a small, consistent, hard, ugly, grueling, confusing, wonderful place before. And not just for a day.

Wake up every single day and do the small, consistent things if you want to win at life.

. . . and that’s what I would tell my son. Because that’s the message I ignored for too long. Maybe you’ve been ignoring it too. Maybe consistently creating, and showing up, and doing the small tasks, and listening with an open heart have gotten hard . . . tedious . . . boring . . . seemingly impossible.

Maybe publishing and performing for crickets and doing things that no one sees, ever, is the last thing you want to continue to do.

But, my small ninja friend, those consistent, tiny actions all add up. As you already know, but sometimes ignore.

Have you heard the phrase, “They may have won the battle, but we’ll win the war.” or something like that? Here’s the deal. That saying can be a little misleading because the fact is, you have to show up and fight all of those small battles, and then win a lot of those small battles to actually win the war.

Show me the war where someone lost all the battles but still won. Actually. Let me quit playing like I know history well enough to know all of the wars—just roll with my point because it’s a good one.

I say all of this to ask you, the same question I had to ask myself recently, what’s the action you need to be consistently taking that you are not?For me, it was writing content on this blog again.Do you have the patience to outline and understand the small steps that go into getting control over your (a) finances, (b) business, (c) relationships, (d) house, (e) etc.? It’s been a rough journey for me to even begin these things, but I feel much better, and am much better, than when I was just sitting on the sidelines of my own game feeling sorry for myself about how much work I had to do. Work I caused by not doing all the small things each day leading up to that day on the sidelines.

Are you able to save the small amount each week, or create the extra content for your business each day, or put in the 30 minutes at the gym each day all to see . . . not immediate improvements by any means . . . but instead to see the version of yourself in the future who is grateful to the past you for doing something that seemed insignificant?

Be consistent, and be small. That’s how you win at life.

Okay, I’m done. I promise. I sat down to write a blog post filled with tips and logical points, like all my other posts, and this came out.

So I press publish not because I think this is the best blog post ever in the history of blogging, but because maybe you needed to hear it.

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86 Comments

Reginaaaaa this was so, so good! Can’t wait to share it. Really love the content you’re putting out these days, and so glad to see your pretty face back in my feed (- and literally, there you are in my inbox too!) Thank you, as always, for all that you do for your people.

Thank you for sharing this! I’m printing parts of it to keep near my desk. 🙂

It reminds me of a quote by Hilaire Belloc that I can’t for the life of me recall just now, but the gist of it is this: the first step of a journey is undertaken easily and with enthusiasm, it is the 500th step (when we are weary and worn) that counts.

You have shared many great sentiments for encouragement when the journey feels long. Thank you!

soooo….this was definitely the best blog post EVER! I dont know how you do it but this spoke to the current season of my life in every way imaginable. Regina, you give me so much hope! I’m going to print this post & keep in my planner.

I appreciate you being so candid. open, & vulnerable with us. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world.

Regina,
Thank you so much for your vulnerability and true words. You always have so much information to give out. It’s nice to hear the other YOU because you also have a lot just to give in your life experience. I appreciate you! 😘 You have helped me thru my process of getting my website out there. Thank you!

Thank you so much for that beautiful post – and what an awesome reminder that we all just need to keep going! Small steps each and every day, mixed up with a bag of courage and a ton of persistence. xxx

I just discovered you yesterday whilst searching for advice on business plans. Since having a baby 14 months ago, I’ve lost all business focus and direction. LOVING your work and love this post. From a newly inspired small business owner in the UK x

Actually this is a great historic post. A post that long after we’ve read how to go from £0 – £gazillion for the umpteenth time… or how to automate your being, so you end up looking and sounding, automated… I’ll remember, even though I’m not manny (think that was pretend son name) to just keep going at the small actions and talk to my audience of 1 and remember why I started…

I. Love. This. So. Much.
Like I said in a tweet. I literally feel like you are talking about me, like you know me, like you know my life and how I feel like I’ve just been falling by the wayside. Just started my own blog and this page speaks to me in so many AMAZING ways! THANK YOU THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! xoxo

You are such a gifted writer. I don’t mean in the sense of word choice and delivery and formatting and strategy — I mean in the sense of intuitively knowing what needs to be told, and allowing yourself to be a conduit for telling it.

I love how you’re handling the climate around this election, and the constructive messages you’re sending to help people gain new direction and new confidence in themselves. Thank you for using your gift.

Regina, this is exactly the inspiration and info I need. I eventually want to be where you are, independent and in charge if my own wins and losses. I have a small crochet blog but I believe there is room in the industry for me and my perspective. Thank you for making it look possible. ♡ Dianna

Thanks Regina! Consistency is my biggest challenge also. In this age of “How I Made $50k Blogging Last Month” posts it is so easy to lose sight of the real work. Thank you for offering the challenge to do better and be small in such a caring way.

Wow. Powerful. You definitely have a way with words with wisdom and insight beyond your years. The vast number of comments here is testament to that and after the election results it makes me feel a tiny bit better. I needed to hear your words as well. Thank you for this post. I so appreciate you and now that I’ve found you (and am extremely impressed!), I will definitely be following this blog and you! Take care, my friend, and keep writing powerful blogs like this that might just change the world, one person at a time. Cheesy, I know, but true!

Oh Regina…. I am lost for words. Thank you. I had lost sight of this important fact, and even almost lost myself, grain by grain. Discipline leads to a beautiful life, even with baby steps and tiny slivers of time. How could I have forgotten that? Thank you.

This blog post was right on time!!!!!! Thank you Regina for your commitment to helping us all become better. Man as my word of the year is consistent but I haven’t been consistent in all areas of my business. Truth is I don’t know how to be, this is my first business and I just dove in head first and now trying to feel my way around and figure it out. Drowning but still fighting to get it on track and make it work. Thank you for the boost that you just gave me to keep fighting.

Wow!! Who told you that I needed to hear this. This was so on time. I’ve been struggling with the same problem. The ideas, restless nights all of the above. So, I’m not crazy and I’m not alone. Thank you for sharing. Very encouraging!!! Thank you Regina 😊

This is exactly what I need to hear right now! Halfway through and I said, “ouch, this is me..” I’ve finally setup my website’s homepage but my blog has zero posts yet. Thank you Regina for this candid article that hits me like a lightning bolt! Stay awesome! ☺

Thank you, Regina, for this post (and the last one). I feel like I “know” you through your workshops, blog, courses, products and you have not only inspired me to start my own website/business but you literally taught me so many of the practical things I needed to do it. I launched in October and I count you among my most important mentors (even though you don’t know me).

This reminder is good. So good. And in a time when all I want to do is absorb information and grow and desperately try to cover my costs (which I’m totally not doing yet, LOL), it’s important to just stay the course and remember why I started this adventure. To help others. Thank you.

I anxiously await each thing you write or produce. Take care of you and don’t stop being an inspiration.

I really needed to read this post today. Thank you so much for sharing this and I feel like you were speaking directly to my situation. It’s so easy to get distracted by the big picture that we forget to stop and enjoy the small victories along the way. This is truly an inspiration. It’s refreshing to see someone truly speak from the heart… I will be here much more often!! Thank you!

OMG! this is what I needed to hear! it’s Saturday night, and for the first time I can’t wait for Monday morning to to go out of my house and Start doing some marketing for my work and website thanks to this article!! THANK YOU REGINA!

It is easy to get sidetracked on a hourly basis with everything on our own to do list. The last few months, I got into a groove but went off-track with an intensive project. And now, I’m getting back on track, and slowly finding my groove again.

Love this. Small things add up to big things over time and they’re so totally worth it!
Going to the gym every morning may not be my favorite thing, but it’s worth it and it helps my body, mind, mood, and the whole productivity of the day! Which is big impact if you’re just getting up and running a mile to get that effect!!

Just so you know Regick I totally thought of you and this post earlier today when I checked my mailchimp to find that I had my first 4 subscribers for my weekly art tips. That’s 4 whole people with whole lifetimes that that decided that my small art blog was what they needed to hear.

Thank you for reminding my of the little things in life and to keep going after something one step at a time !

Regina,
This article is EVERYTHING ❤︎ thanks for sharing something so sweet and true! I feel consistency is the key to success for sure. I keep on going every single day, creating and showing up consistently. Thanks for putting it all into simple and real words! ❤︎ Fabi Paolini

I just started a blog using good ole’ weebly. In fact, I am planning to have my first blog post up within a few days. And this. hit. home. Your words about reaching 3 people are really inspiring. I have never really thought about it in the sense that three whole people are three whole lifetimes filled with memories and experience, lifetimes that I am blessed enough to share my words with. Thank you for that.

I definitely needed to hear this today. This is why I follow your blog and have it in my favorites. You are the most open and real person I know in this blogging world. I have learned a lot from you and still learning from you more so after this post. Thanks for being you, Regina!

You are so humble. Of course, we all aren’t sure of the value or quality of our content, but you knew… we needed it! It was a wonderful post and it absolutely inspired me! I am currently starting up my first blog and I for sure for sure, needed some guidance! Cheers to you, and gracias!

Regina, this post is right on time. As I reflect on the new year, I am reminding myself that I have to be grateful for the small steps and consistently continue to do them. I’m so exciting for your content in 2017.

Regina, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!! I totally needed to read EVERY SINGLE WORD in this post! I feel like you were writing this article specifically for me and me alone!
Thank you for sharing it! I feel inspired and compelled to hold on to this sage advice: “Speak passionately to a crowd of 0.
Until you’re speaking passionately to a crowd of 3.”
A Thousand Thank Yous!

This is so good, so encouraging. Most of my friends and family don’t support what I do (and have never been supportive of my business endeavors). It hurts and it is discouraging, but this post has inspired me, has sparked the flames of hope that have been only glowing embers for far too long. Totally bookmarking so I can read it again and again.

First off I would like to say awesome blog!
I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you do not
mind. I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your thoughts prior to writing.
I’ve had a hard time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there.
I truly do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes
are lost simply just trying to figure out
how to begin. Any suggestions or tips? Cheers!

Hey 👋🏽. I’m Regina, and you are in the right place if . . .

You’re in the right place if you’ve realized that other people’s opinions on what you should be doing with your life don’t pay the bills. I’m obsessed with doing everything I can to help you take big actions, master your business model, sell in human ways, and actually have fun learning all the small steps and big ideas that go into creating your profitable online brand.

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